Gore, a former University of Miami standout who has started 109 consecutive games, lined up as a fullback, and Drake lined up behind the quarterback and ran a route that turned a backward pass into a 10-yard gain.

Gore would immediately leave the field, but when he returned two drives later the 35-year-old reminded everyone that this homecoming isn’t a retirement tour by gaining a team-leading 61 rushing yards on nine carries.

The bulk of those yards came on three impressive carries on first down during Miami’s 12-play, 98-yard touchdown drive. The first one, a 10-yard run behind left guard Josh Sitton, gained 10 yards and produced a first down. The second gained 7 yards, and the third produced 21 yards and put Miami on Tennessee’s 10-yard line a play before Ryan Tannehill found Kenny Stills for a 10-yard touchdown pass that delivered a 7-3 lead.

OK, right. Everyone’s had enough with lightning after this long, drawn out, serial-delayed opener as lightning struck twice (sorry — but the four hours of delays delivered plenty...

“It’s fun to see him work,” Tannehill said referring to Gore, who is 15 yards shy of surpassing Hall of Fame tailback Curtis Martin for fourth all-time in NFL rushing yards.

“When you can run the football that opens up a lot of things for you. Helps you move the ball, sustains drives, opens up the play-action for you,” said Tannehill, who finished Sunday’s game with a 89.9 passer rating. “When it’s going good for you it’s going to open up a lot of things.”

Drake gained 48 yards on his 14 carries. He also contributed 18 yards on three receptions.

The Dolphins finished Sunday’s game with 120 rushing yards on 29 carries, which is an impressive performance when its factored in that Tennessee was one of the NFL’s best teams when it came to defending the run last season.

That is why Sunday’s performance indicates that Miami’s running game might be sustainable no matter the opponent if Gase stays committed to remaining balanced.

Drake has already proven he’s a home-run threat every time he touches the football, and Gore has rushed for 1,000 or more yards in nine of his 14 NFL seasons.

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(Steve Svekis, Omar Kelly)

Gore understands he’s no longer going to be used as a workhorse, so his focus is to maximize each touch.

“Every time I get an opportunity, I’m trying to make something happen,” Gore said. “I still can play. I’m having fun, trying to take advantage of my opportunities.”

This week Gore talked about being the type of backfield that pushes, and complements one another, much like he did at the University of Miami when he was a freshman backing up Clinton Portis during Miami’s championship season.

This time he’s the older back trying to motivate the youngster.

Miami’s offensive line hopes this level of productivity on the ground continues because it will help the Dolphins offense alter their identity and shed a finesse reputation the team has had since the Joe Philbin days.

Last year the Dolphins attempted the fewest carries in the NFL, attempting 22.5 rushes per game.

In 2017, nine of the 12 teams that advanced to the postseason finished as a top-10 performer in rushing yards per game, and six of those playoff teams — Jacksonville, Minnesota, Carolina, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and the Los Angeles Rams — finished in the top 10 when it came to rushing attempts per game.

“It’s a game changer when you can run the ball.” said center Daniel Kilgore, who the Dolphins traded for this offseason. “Being able to run the ball you can do anything else in the playbook. It’s huge because you don’t always have to drop back and pass protect. If we wear down the defensive linemen up front then the quarterback is allowed to set back and feel comfortable.”